July Favorites

August is finally here which means I will be spending most of my time packing, preparing future posts, and getting ready to go back to school. I hope everyone had an lovely July and here are some things I have been loving during the past month.

NYX 'Terra Cotta': Often compared to NAR's 'Luster', 'Terra Cotta' is a beautiful coral full of shimmer that suits many skin tones. I have been using this on the apples on my cheeks this month and forgoing a highlighter. This is my first NYX blush and will certainly not be my last.

Dr. Brandt Flexitone BB Cream: I received a sample of this BB cream in my Sun Safety Kit and have been using most of the month in place of foundation. It is a little dark for me because I lack a tan, but it does have SPF 30 which is amazing. I'm still not sure if I would purchase a full size of this because it is quite expensive.

NYX 'Emerald City': I got this eyeliner from my friend for my last birthday and I love to use it on my upper lash line to add some color to my make up look. I think the beautiful dark green color brings out my green eyes.

Maybelline 'Orange Attitude': I already mentioned how much I have been loving the Maybelline Color Whispers here, but 'Orange Attitude' is the color I have been throwing in my bag and wearing almost daily. This sheer, orange lip butter is moisturizing and has sucked me into the orange craze.

Clinique Happy. Perfume Spray: When I placed an order with Ulta, I was sent along with my order a sample size of Clinque's 'Happy.' perfume. I am not that big of a perfume girl and tend to store away most perfume samples until I go traveling, but I have actually been spritzing some of this in place of my typical body spray. According to the description on ulta.com, this perfume contains "Ruby Red Grapefruit, Bosenberry Bush Flower and Hawaiian Wedding Flower" notes. I think it is quite unique and not too heavy. I have loved wearing it this July (and will continue to)!

NYX // Lip Liner Pencils

Ulta is currently offering free shipping with any $25 purchase so, of course, I gave in and bought a couple of bits online. My most exciting purchase will appear in a post soon, but to get the free shipping, I added two NYX lip liners to my basket. The quality of the NYX lip pencils is parallel to their price [$3.50]. They aren't spectacular but they get the job done. I would suggest applying lip balm before using them because they can be drying on their own. I have been seeing so many people rocking an orange lip so that's where 'Pumpkin' came in. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a lipstick until I knew that orange suited me so I opted for a lip liner. 'Pumpkin' is more of an orange-red than the true orange that I had hoped it would be. It also has a metallic sheen that I'm not too keen on. Since Ulta was having a deal on NYX products, I also got 'Rose' for half the price. I plan on using this with Mac's 'Chatterbox' but in the photo above I am just wearing it on its own. What do you think about the NYX lip pencils? What color do you love?

P.S. I wanted to apologize for my lack of posts as of late. I mentioned previously that the camera I tend to use is not available to me at the moment and that has forced me to use a different camera that is lesser in quality. I have been struggling to take photos because I have to take a million more shots and a play with the lighting quite a bit more. This came at a particularly bad time because I had a sudden spur of inspiration and came up with over forty new blog post ideas. Hopefully I'll be back on track soon!

My Summer Essentials

Happy 4th of July everyone! I'm sure none of you guys know this but I'm not yet a U.S. citizen. However, my family is still celebrating with fireworks and a cookout so I do need the help of my summer essentials to look fabulous while I munch on watermelon.

Aussie Sydney Smooth Tizz No Frizz Gel: For all you curly haired gals out there, you know how difficult it is to tame your mane. Now add the heavy summer air and the situation gets ten times more problematic. My haircare is tedious all year round but during the summer I turn to Aussie's Tizz No Frizz Gel to ensure that my curls stay bouncy and shiny. I just separate my hair in half and rub a bit of the gel between my palms and apply it to my hair. That keeps the frizz and afro at bay.

China Glaze Polish in 'For Audrey': Any bright mint/baby blue nail polish is a must in my book. This is my favorite color of polish that China Glaze sells and I tend to wear it quite often during the summer.

Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer: Due the fact that I'm taking summer classes, I do not have much time to enjoy the sun. To add some color to my skin, I use Jergens' Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer in Medium to Tan. I use this about once a week on my arms and legs. As it goes with self-tanning products, you have to be careful. I wash my hands immediately after application but I still have had some complications [my feet were a bit orange and spotty]. That problem excluded, it does make my legs look fantastic.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer: I mentioned this bronzer in my May Favorites and I still haven't stopped using it. I have the mini version from Sephora's Sun Safety Kit and it is honestly the perfect bronzer for contouring. It is matte and smells like sugar. Yum!

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation: Revlon has really been impressing me with their foundations this past year. The Nearly Naked foundation is light and dewy, ideal for warm weather. They have a wide color selection and the foundation contains SPF 20. If the foundation had a pump, I would never use anything else.

Trader Johann's Lip Balm Virtuoso: You can't forget your lips when it comes to protecting yourself from the sun! This lip balm from Trader Joe's contains SPF 15 and moisturizes your lips. In addition, it is spearmint and is 50% organic.

NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray: In order to keep your makeup in place and to ensure you don't sweat off your patriotic, 4th of July makeup look, a setting spray is a must. I recently chose to take a break from my typical Urban Decay Setting Spray and started using the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray. If you want to see a comparison of the two, I wrote a post on it here.

Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer: This is another beauty I received in Sephora's latest Sun Safety Kit. It smells absolutely divine of sunscreen but better. I use this everyday before applying my makeup. It contains SPF 40 and I know I'm going to be wanting to repurchase it when I run out.

What are your summer essentials?

The Beauty Battle // Make-Up Setting Sprays

About a fortnight ago, I finally ran out of my Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray and found myself searching for a new, less expensive setting spray. I tend to use setting sprays in the summertime to avoid makeup running down my face and to control my oily T-zone, but I have to admit it isn't exactly a necessity. That is probably the reason why I decided to go for the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray which is a fraction of the price of the Urban Decay spray. If you happen to be in the market for a setting spray, here is a condensed comparison of the two that may help you deduct the winner.

NYX // Mega Shine Lip Glosses

Beige, Tea Rose

As I have mentioned previously, I don't have the best relationship with lipgloss. I feel like someone embedded in my mind long ago that lipgloss = child and lipstick = adult. The point I'm trying to get to is that I have found a rage of lip glosses that I love enough to put aside my adoration for a matte lip. The NYX Lip Glosses with Mega Shine have conquered my heart [or my lips] with their thick consistency, artificial cherry smell, and long staying power. I have been able to eat a whole meal and still look as if I just applied a fresh coat. It must be magic! However, I have heard some rumors that not all of the lip glosses in this range are made with the same formulation so you may have to be careful when purchasing them. So far I haven't faced this dilemma, probably since I'm only two lip glosses in. My favorite out of the two is 'Tea Rose' because it adds a significant amount of color to my lips and my overall complexion. 'Beige' is also beautiful but I fear I'm not the best at pulling off nude pinks. The test to see if I actually love a range of lip products is if I have two or more from the collection. So... it must be true love. Have you tried any lip glosses in this range? In what colors?